Two-piece metal shaft for golf clubs



April 18,'1933. M. B. REACH I TWO-PECE METAL SHAFT FOR GOLF CLUBS -FiiedNov. 2o, 195o Milaan f3.9/ p

f [Illrr Patented Apr. 18,1933 l Y Y UNITED STATES PATNI A MILTON `13.-REACH, or SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AS'sIcrNcIt` sa BROS., or NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or .Nnwgmnsnr 1 TWO-PIECE METAL' SHAFT nonGOLF cti'nssf` f Application filed November i930; Serial' No."496,`962.5" l

rlhis invention relates to improvements in golf clubs of the type havingmetal shafts and involves the method of making and the article produced.Y H

Mostof the golfers of todaylearned golf playing with hickory clubs,Their muscles I'react to a certaininovement of thehead or shaft at thetime of It is desirable to impact.

maintain this non-rigid relationship between the portion of theclub'gripped bythe hands and the club'head Vso that the golfers de- Yveloped sensefof timing need not be changed.

Itis also desirable for abeginner. f v p vThe invention aims to providea golfclub providing a torsional shock absorbing, and

cushioning means between the portion` ofthe metal shaft which thevgolfergrips and the head of the club, by means remote fromA the hosel of thehead and irrespective ofthe type of connection between the hose'l of-thehead and the metal shaft.` I 1 Y The invention further aimstoiprovide a*two-piece metal gshaft comprising an upper apiece of shafting with itsend portion secured by a shock absorbing, resilient, torsional,cushioning, connecting means to the end portion-of a lowerl piece ofshafting which 1s to be connectedto the hosel.

. i Another object is to reduce the weightof the two-pece metal shaft byenabling the use of. relatively lighterk metal shafting for the `upperpiece.

. A further object is to provide a novel assembly effecting `substantialVsavings in manufacture by 'salvaging the `short lengths of wastemetal'shafts. A great many short lengths occur in manufacture due todefects in some part of the metal tubing and Vthe present inventionmakes'it possible to salvage the short lengths by the connectionV of theends of the upper portion and lower portion of the two-piecemetal shaft.p

Another `object of the invention is theI provision of a'method ofassembly enabling the per piece of shaftilng simultaneously with thepermanent applicationof cushioning `Inate- A still vfurther Object istofiprovideametal handle or 'grip vpiece of shaftingof reduced *diameteror taper relative to` that ofthe lower` If'o A.. fe.; SPALnING or bodypiece whereby a` .foundation layer i may be readilyapplied tofthe `grippiece to receive the'usual leatheron other 'grip wrapping, without unduediametricalenlargement of the handle relative ltothe body piece. Thisarrangementprovides forthelready applicaf tion of anyform of grip'covering tothe grip 'ipiece without undesirable enlargementY relativetothe lowerfor body piece.

Another ob'ect is to utilize .short lengths r of` tapered shafting ofdiiferentsiZebyjeffecting a connectionzof their ends'by Aperma- V nentlyafIiXing the cushioning'materialto the upper endY of the lower piece andpulling said v piece throughthe upper piece'to connectzthe cushion withAthe overlapping-lowerjendof A the upper piece under compression.. f

. Other objectsand advantages -w Figurexl is azlongitudinal .S0

tional view of the assembledtwo-piece metal shaft, the-.two pieceshaving their end s -conhereinafter in the. further disclosure of the."inventionrwhich consists, inthe method andi assembly described andnected byan.k interposed ,cushon:'sleeve,..the

upper pieceV having thefsleever aiixed toifits Y lower end" andlinserted rwithin "the upperend N of the lowerpiece with 'a drive fit,-

Fig. 1a is an enlargedviewof'the connection of Eig. 1. i Fig. 1b isaFig.1a.

Fig. l2 1s a longitudinal partially .sectionalvvv cross sectiononlinelrZi-lo of f Y View of 'a two-piece metalshaft in `which the upperendof the lowervv piece has thesleeve afIiXed thereto and is pulled Ithrough the upper 'piece to Lfirmly'" corinect"` withythe Over-` yapplication of a foundation layer to `the uplappmg lower epdfqfft up???ple'e 'i pressure. f

Referring to Figs. l, la and l?) of the drawing, l represents thetapered metal tubing forming the body portion of the two-piece shaft towhich the hosel of the head may be secured in any desired or .suitableway. The upper piece 2 of the two-piece shaft is of a size 'such thatits lower taperedend 2 is received within the open upper or larger end1f of the tapered lower or body piece 1. A sleeve or layer 3 of rubberor other shock absorbing or cushioning material is vulcanized orotherwisepermanently afiixed to the small.

tapered end portion '2a of upper piece 2. The upper piece 2 with itsaffixed sleeve 3 of shock absorbing or cushioning material is insertedWithin the large end of the tapered tubular metal lower Vpiecefl with VaYdriving fit undervpressure. I 1 Y n f This thin wall 3 of rubbervulcanized to vthe upper piece of the two#piece 'shaft and forced intothe other piece under pressure forms a secure joint highly resistant toseparationfevenV when subjected to tests pulling the two-piece shaftapart longitudinally, and

inseparable in use, while permittinga certain degree of torque in theshaft.

-Preferably, at the time the rubber cushion 3 is formed on ythe endofthe upper piece, a shaped rubber :grip foundation layer 4 is mouldedor vulcanized to the remaining por- -ftion of the upper piece. Thisfoundation layer facilitates the application of the grip :covering orwrapping (not shown) which is usually of leather, or the bare rubberlayer may be used as the grip.

The upper piece 2 ofthe two-piecel shaft is of reduced diameteror taperrelative to that of the body orlower piece 1, and provides for Y theready application of any form 'ofsubstanv tialgrip covering vto theupperfpiece without undue enlargement thereof relative to the lower orbody piece, the grip covering abutting and coveringthe shoulder 5presented by the largeend of the lower piece.

In the preferred form of covering including the foundation layer 4 andthe leather or f similar grip wrapping, the shaped foundation layer ofrubber or other material 4 may yabut and, completely cover the shoulder5,

prior to the application ofthe outside wrapv'ping of leather or thellike, as indicated in Fig. la. Y

The'foundation layer is preferably of rubber moulded or vulcanized onthe upper shaft piece 2 and is preferably made integral, with thecushion sleeve vulcanizedon the end 2,

. omitted if desired and the grip although it is not of necessity so andI do not .desire to limit myself lto the integral construction as thecushion sleeve and foundation layer may be applied separately. Also thefoundation layer of rubber may be entirely built up to size in somecustomary way as by meansvof an adhesive'tape wrapping.

Preferably, and as shown in F igs.,1;jand la,

before connecting the two-piece shaft. v

cto. make uniform the taper of the two-pieceF the upper piece ofshafting 2 is stepped down or provided with a shoulder at 6 dening thelower end portion 2 for receiving the cushion sleeve 3. The cushion 3 ofrubber or other resilient material is then mouldedover the reducedportion 2', and is of a thickness to extend radially beyond the shoulder6 to meet, integrally or otherwise, the end of the foundation layer 4 orother grip covering appliedto the upper shaft piece 2, the rubber 75grip layer 4 being stepped down to the cushion sleeve 3. The lower pieceof the shafting is'then pushed on over the cushion sleeve with a drivefit until its upper endis adjacent the grip Vsleeve 4. so

As shown in F ig. lathe rubber gripv 4 may be of a thickness to extendradiallybeyond the upper end of the lower piece of shafting and theshoulder thus presented by the grip 4is finished off by a winding 7 ofelectricians 85 tape or the like to present a uniform taper.

The winding 7 ris shown as extending down for substantially the extentof the cushion sleeve 3, but may be of any extent to provide the uniformtaper. f im v In Figs. 2, 2a, and 2b is shown another twopiece shaftassembly utilizing short lengths of tapered shafting of diiferentsizes,and thus effecting substantial savings. In this assembly the upper pieceof shafting 2x is'35 larger than the lower piece 1m. The rubber cushion3m is permanently secured to the upper end of the lower piece lm, andthe lower piece is pulled through the upper piece 2x until the cushionsleeve 3m Vengages thefl100 tapered inner walls of the lower-end of theupper-piece 2m with a driving fit und-erpressure. The grip sleeve orfoundation layer 4aa is moulded to the upper piece 2'preferablykSuitabletape or other covering means not shown) may be provided on lower shaftpiece la, at X to build uprthe shaft lm at this point shaft. i

The two piece metal shaft of the present invention by its cushioningconnectionbetween the overlapping ends ofV the pieces forming the shaftenables the salvaging andm utilization of short lengths of the tubularlwshafting of differenttapering sizes. `In the manufacture of steel shaftsa great many such short lengths occurs due to defects in some part ofthe tubing. Y

Alighter tubing can be used as the gripv 120 'piece in the upper portionofthe two-piece shaft. Such lighter tubing may be made of some lightmetal alloy material adequate in .Strength for the grip, while reducingthe`l This gives less wei, 'ht`-"*125v Iv claim :V 5.1130

1. In a golf club, a two piece `metal 'shaft consisting of short lengthsof tapered tubullar metal shafting arranged end to end with overlappingend portions to jointly-form the permanent shaft of required length,comprising a lower piece of said shafting for connection to the clubhead, and an upper piece of said shafting, a sleeve of rubber or similarshock absorbing material vulcanized to the lapping end portion of one ofsaid pieces, said end of said piece and itsjvulcanized sleeve beinginserted into the end of the other piece with a driving fit, topvirinlyconnectthe said ends of said upper and lower pieces of shafting againstseparation longitudinally and to provide torsional resiliency betweensaid shaft sections.

2. In a golf club according to claim 1the large end of the lower piecepresenting an exterior upwardly facing shoulder, andv a covering forsaid upper piece abutting'said shoulder and covering said shoulder.

3. In a golf club according to claim 1, the large end of the lower piecepresenting an exterior, upwardly7 facing shoulder, a covering for saidupper piece abutting and covering the upwardly facing edge presented bythe large end ofthe lower piece, and extending outwardly beyond thesaine to present a downwardly facing shoulder, and-a winding of tape orthe likeon said lower piece adjoining and covering said shoulder andpresenting a substantiallyuniform taper. j

4. A Agolf club according to claim 1 in which the sleeve is affixed tothe upper piece of shaftingand the receiving endportion of said upperpiece of shafting is of reduced external diameter relative to theremainder thereof to present a downardly .facing shoulder, said sleeveabutting said shoulder and being of greater diameter to present withsaid lower piece of shafting an upwardly facing shoulder, covering meansfor said upper piece covering said upwardly facing shoulder, andadjoining covering means on the upper end of said lower piece forpresenting a substanv tially uniform external taper.

5. A golf club according to claim 1 in which the sleeve receivin Vendportion of said upper piece of shafting is of reduced external diameterrelative to the remainder 6. In a golf club, a two piece metal shaftconsistingof short lengths of tapered tubular metal shafting arrangedend to end,` to

jointly form the permanent shaft to required,

length comprising a lower piece of said shafting for connection to theclub head, and an upper piece of said shafting, a sleeve of rubberVorsimilar shock absorbing material vul- Y canized to the small endportion of said upperpiece, said Aend of said upper piece and itsvulcanized sleeve being inserted into the large end of the lower piecewith aldriving lit, to firmly connect the said ends of saidV upper andlowerpieces of shafting, against f separation longitudinally and toprovide torsional resiliency between .said shaft sections.`

-' 7 In a golf club according to claim 6, said large end of the vlowerpiece presenting a shoulder, and a covering of rubber materialvulcanized to said'upper piece, said rubber asV covering abutting andcovering said'shoulder,-Isaid rubber sleeve-and rubber covering beingmoulded in one integral piece.

8. A golf clubfaccording to claim 6 in which the sleeve receiving end'portioniof said upperpiece of shafting isof reduced external.

diameter relative to the remainder thereof, i

Ato present a downwardlyjfacing shoulder,

said sleeve of rubber materialabutting said shoulder and being ofgreater external diameter to extend outwardly beyond the lupper piece ofshafting, a covering of rubber material vulcanized to said upper pieceand moulded in one piece with 'said sleeve of' rubber material, saidcovering of rubber Vcovering and extending outwardly beyond l the uppervedge of said lowerrpiece Vofvshafting, and adjoining coveringgmeans inthe i upper end of said lower piece for presentin'g a'substantiallyunifo-rm external tapers In testimony whereof,` I affix mysignature.'`

7 VMILTON B, REACH.

thereof to present a, downwardly facing shoulder, said sleeve abuttingsaid shoulder and being of greater diameter to present with` said lowerpiece of shafting an upwardly facing shoulder, covering means for saidupper piece covering .said upwardly facing shoulder, and adjoiningcoveringv means on the upper end of said lower piece for presentl ing asubstantially uniform external taper, said sleeve` is aixedto the'uppershafting and the coverin per piece comprising rub r material vulcanizedto said upper piece and made integral .Y A with each other.l Y v pieceof means for said up- Y

